Linux

53529 readers

1732 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Rules

Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
No misinformation
No NSFW content
No hate speech, bigotry, etc

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

265

I have used Windows all my life, and I have some questions. (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

165 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Basically the forced shift to the enshittified Windows 11 in october has me eyeing the fence a lot. But all I know about Linux is 1: it's a cantankerous beast that can smell your fear and lack of computer skills and 2: that's apparently not true any more? Making the change has slowly become a more real possibility for me, though I'm pretty much a fairly casual PC-user, I don't do much more than play games. So I wrote down some questions I had about Linux.

Will my ability to play games be significantly affected compared to Windows?

Can I mod games as freely and as easily as I do on Windows?

If a program has no Linux version, is it unusable, or are there workarounds?

Can Linux run programs that rely on frameworks like .NET or other Windows-specific libraries?

How do OS updates work in Linux? Is there a "Linux Update" program like what Windows has?

How does digital security work on Linux? Is it more vulnerable due to being open source? Is there integrated antivirus software, or will I have to source that myself?

Are GPU drivers reliable on Linux?

Can Linux (in the case of a misconfiguration or serious failure) potentially damage hardware?

And also, what distro might be best for me?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] -5 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Windows 11 isn't enshittified, it's just shit. You should consider learning what that word actually means rather than just parroting it like everyone else.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Please, be nice. We're all here to help each other.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 minutes ago* (last edited 2 minutes ago)

That comment is neither nice nor unkind. If someone can't take a relatively neutral comment in stride and requires that I be "nice"...that's a pretty unfortunate way to live, tbh.

If you disagree with any of the claims that's fine, but I think the facts are fairly rock solid. It's a word whose definition can't include windows. It's a word people parrot endlessly in the last year or so since Doctorow got popular, without actually understanding it. If you want to prove me wrong, go for it.